Folding cross rail and support leg structure for bedframes



Dec. 24, 1963 E. M. BOGAR, JR 3, 4

FOLDING CROSS RAIL AND SUPPORT LEG STRUCTURE FOR BEDFRAMES Filed Jan. 2, 1962 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice 3, 1 14,9 1 7 Patented Dec. 24., l 963 3,114,917 FSLDENG CRUSS RAE AND SUPIURT LEG STRUCTURE FOR BEDFRAMES Earl M. Bogar, in, 1201 Congress Ave, Houston, Tex. Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 163,680 2 Qlaims. (Cl. 5-176) This invention relates to bedframes and more particularly to a foldable frame and support leg structure for beds.

The invention finds particular utility in connection with bedframes of the type common known as Hollywood frames, in which the cross rails are each formed in two parts each of which is pivotally secured at one end to one side rail of the frame, to permit the parts of the cross rails to be folded into parallel relation with the side rails whereby the frame may be disassembled and made into a compact bundle, or the cross rail parts may be moved to positions extending at right angles to the side rails and clamped together to form With the side rails a rectangular frame.

The invention has for an important object the provision of a bedframe in which the rails are connected together in a manner to permit the frame to be disassembled and folded into a compact arrangement for packaging and transportation and so that the parts may be easily and quickly unfolded and assembled into a rectangular frame when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connection for the cross rails and side rails of folding bedframes of the kind mentioned, whereby the side rails may be folded into parallel relation to the side rails when the frame is in disassembled condition and including means for holding the cross rail parts in unfolded positions to permit the same to be easily connected together in assembling the frame.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cross rail structure for folding bed frames having support legs located to support the frame adjacent the corners and in which means is provided for reenforcing and strengthening the cross rails at the location of the legs and also at the locations where the cross rails are connected to the side rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding bedframe of the type referred to having cross rails which are of angular shape in cross-section, with one flange of the angle positioned vertically and including reenforcing elements of angular shape attached to the cross rail at the locations where the cross rail is connected to the side rails, the cross rail and reenforcing elements being formed with portions shaped for interfitting relation with correspondingly shaped portions of support leg members to form a rigid connection therewith.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a foldable bedframe which is of simple design and strong construction and in which the support legs are rigidly and securely attached to the frame to be held in an upright position relative thereto.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same when considered in conjunction With the annexcd drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a portion of a bedframe embodying the invention, showing the parts of one cross rail in unfolded positions and connected together in the assembled condition of the frame;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view, illustrating one corner portion of the frame of the invention in its erected condition and showing the structure of the cross rail and support leg thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the bedframe of the invention includes a pair of side rails 10, 10/ which are preferably of angle shape in cross-see tion With one flange 12 of each side rail positioned horizontally and extending inwardly toward the other side rail, and the other flange 14 thereof extending vertically upwardly from the horizontal flange.

Near each end of the frame a cross rail, generally indicated at 16, is provided for connecting the side rails together to form a generally rectangular frame, each of the side rails being formed of two parts, 1-8, 18 of angular shape in cross-section, having one flange 20' thereof, extending horizontally, and the other flange 22 extending vertically downwardly from the horizontal flange 20. The horizontal flange 20 of each cross rail part extends at one end beneath the horizontal flange 12 of one of the side rails lit and is pivotally secured thereto for horizontal swinging movement as by means of a rivet or bolt 24, to permit the side rail parts to be swung into positions parallel with the side rails when the frame is disassembled.

Each of the cross rail parts is provided with a reenforcing element 26, of angular shape in cross-section, having a vertical flange 28, which is positioned in facing contact with the flange 22 of the cross rail part to form a backing therefor, and a horizontal flange 33* extending away from the vertical flange 22 in the same plane with the horizontal flange 2d of the cross rail part. The horizontal flange 30 extends at one end beneath the horizontal flange 12 of the adjacent side rail 10, and is provided with a curved end slot 32 into which the shank of a rivet or bolt 34, carried by the side rail, is extended, when the cross rail part is positioned at right angles to the side rail, to hold the cross rail part in position to permit the cross rail parts to be connected together in assembling the frame. Each of the reenforcing elements 26 is provided with an indentation 36 formed in its vertical flange 28 mediate the ends of the element, and each of the cross rail parts has an indentation 38 formed in its vertical flange 22, in position to lie opposite the indentation 36, to form therewith a dovwiwardly opening socket for the reception of the upper end of one pant of a two-part support leg. The indentations 36 and 38 also serve to rigidify the vertical flanges of the cross rail parts and reenforcing elements at the locations where the support legs are connected thereto to additionally strengthen the bedframe adjacent the corners where the weight of the frame is borne by the support legs.

A support leg, generally indicated at 40, is provided adjacent each corner of the frame, which support leg is formed with "a vertical elongated indentation 46, positioned to form a downwardly opening socket 48 when the plate-like parts 42 and 44 are secured together, as best seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The plate-like parts of the support legs are somewhat spread apart at their upper ends to position the parts to receive between them the outwardly bulged or indented portion 38 of the vertical flange 22 of one of the cross rail parts, when the support legs are connected to the cross rails with the upper end of one of the support leg parts extending between the vertical flanges 22 and 28 and the elongated indentation 46 of said one part positioned inside of and in engagement with the inside face of the indentation 36'.

The support leg parts are suitably attached together, as by means of rivets 56), or other suitable means and are attached to the cross rail parts by rivets '52, or the like, which extend through the vertical flanges 22 and 28, to secure the flanges together and to secure the support legs rigidly to the cross rails. With the support legs thus connected to the support rails, it will be apparent that the outwardly bulged or indented portion 38 of the vertical flange 22 of the cross rail will be in vertical alignment with the axis of the socket 23, while the indentation 46 of one of the parts of each support leg will be positioned between the vertical flanges 22 and 28 in contact with the inner surface of the indentation 36, to provide a rigidly reenforced structure in which the support legs will be held in a vertical position.

A roller or caster, such as that shown at 54 in FIG- URE 2, having an upwardly extending shank extending into the socket 48, may be provided for each of the support legs, whereby the frame is supported in the usual manner for rolling movement along the floor.

In erecting the frame, assuming that the same has been positioned in a folded condition, with the cross rail parts positioned in folded parallel positions relative to the side rails, the cross rail parts are swung outwardly to positions extending at right angles to the side rails, in which positions the rivets 34 will be extended into the curved slots 32 to hold the side rail parts in their unfolded positions. With the side rail parts thus extended, the free ends of these parts are placed in endwise abutment as shown in FIGURE 1, whereupon the parts may be clamped together in the usual manner by suitable clamping means, shown at 56 in FIGURE 1, to hold the frame in assembled condition. The clamping means 56 may be of any desired type, and is preferably releasable to allow the cross rail parts to be disconnected for the purpose of disassembling the frame and moving the cross rail parts to their folded positions, whereupon the frame may be compactly arranged for packaging.

It will thus be seen that the invention, constructed as described above, provides a foldable bedframe of economical manufacture which is easily assembled and disassembled, and in which the frame is strongly reenforced at its corners and the support legs rigidly held in vertical positions.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specific embodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only and that various changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a foldable bedframe, side rails each having a horizontally disposed flange, cross rails each formed in two parts of angular shape in cross-section each having a horizontal flange extending at one end beneath and pivotally connected to one of the side rails for horizontal swinging movement into and out of a position at right angles to the side rail to position the parts between the side rails to allow the free ends of the parts to be connected together when the side rails are placed in spaced apart parallel relation to form a rectangular frame and a vertical flange extending downwardly from the horizontal flange of the part, a reenforcing element for each part having a vertical flange positioned in contact with and secured to the vertical flange of the part, said vertical flanges being shaped to form a downwardly opening recess, and a vertically disposed support extending downwardly from said vertical flanges and formed of two identical plate-like members positioned in facing contact and shaped to form between them a downwardly opening, generally tubular socket, and each having an upper end portion in a plane ofiset from the axis of the socket, said upper end portions of one of said upper end members extending into a said recess on one side of the vertical flange of said part and said upper end portion of the other of said members being disposed on the other side of and in contact with the vertical flange of said part.

2. in a foldable bedframe, side rails each having a horizontally disposed flange, cross rails each formed in two parts of angular shape in cross-section each having a horizontal flange extending at one end beneath and pivotally connected to one of the side rails for horizontal swinging movement into and out of a position at right angles to the side rail to position the parts between the side rails to allow the free ends of the parts to be connected together when the side rails are placed in spaced apart parallel relation to form a rectangular frame and a vertical flange extending downwardly from the horizontal flange of the part, a reenforcing element for each part having a vertical flange positioned in contact with and secured to the vertical flange of the part, said vertical flanges being shaped to form a downwardly opening recess, and a vertically disposed support formed of two identical plate like members disposed in facing contact shaped to form between them a downwardly opening, generally tubular socket and having spaced apart upper end portions positioned in planes offset from the axis of the socket on opposite sides of the vertical flange of said part and one of which extends into said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,051 Jackson Aug. 19, 1952 2,719,771 Hoven et a1. Oct. 4, 1955 2,851,702 Imber et al Sept. 16, 1958 

1. IN A FOLDABLE BEDFRAME, SIDE RAILS EACH HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FLANGE, CROSS RAILS EACH FORMED IN TWO PARTS OF ANGULAR SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTION EACH HAVING A HORIZONTAL FLANGE EXTENDING AT ONE END BENEATH AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF THE SIDE RAILS FOR HORIZONTAL SWINGING MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF A POSITION AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SIDE RAIL TO POSITION THE PARTS BETWEEN THE SIDE RAILS TO ALLOW THE FREE ENDS OF THE PARTS TO BE CONNECTED TOGETHER WHEN THE SIDE RAILS ARE PLACED IN SPACED APART PARALLEL RELATION TO FORM A RECTANGULAR FRAME AND A VERTICAL FLANGE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE HORIZONTAL FLANGE OF THE PART, A REENFORCING ELEMENT FOR EACH PART HAVING A VERTICAL FLANGE POSITIONED IN CONTACT WITH AND SECURED TO THE VERTICAL FLANGE OF THE PART, SAID VERTICAL FLANGES BEING SHAPED TO FORM A DOWNWARDLY OPENING RECESS, AND A VERTICALLY DISPOSED SUPPORT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID VERTICAL FLANGES AND FORMED OF TWO IDENTICAL PLATE-LIKE MEMBERS POSITIONED IN FACING CONTACT AND SHAPED TO FORM BETWEEN THEM A DOWNWARDLY OPENING, GENERALLY TUBULAR SOCKET, AND EACH HAVING AN UPPER END PORTION IN A PLANE OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OF THE SOCKET, SAID UPPER END PORTIONS OF ONE OF SAID UPPER END MEMBERS EXTENDING INTO A SAID RECESS ON ONE SIDE OF THE VERTICAL FLANGE OF SAID PART AND SAID UPPER END PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AND IN CONTACT WITH THE VERTICAL FLANGE OF SAID PART. 